(Bloomberg) -- Mozambican opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who was declared the runner-up in this month’s disputed presidential election, called for a week-long strike and demonstrations from Oct. 31.
The call comes after Mondlane announced three days of protests last week that turned deadly. Security forces killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more using live bullets and tear gas during the demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
Mondlane made the call in a live stream on Tuesday evening, which by Wednesday morning had more than 2.6 million views — equivalent to more than a quarter of estimated total internet users in the country of almost 35 million. He also told citizens to converge on the capital, Maputo, for a march on Nov. 7, where he says 4 million will occupy every road.
Tensions in the gas-rich southeast African nation have escalated after the elections that opposition parties, foreign observers, and local advocacy groups said were marred by a raft of irregularities. The unrest has rattled investors and raised questions about how the authorities will restore stability.
The government has repeatedly urged citizens to shun what it calls illegal protests and await the final verification of the elections results that gave about 71% of the vote to the ruling party’s Daniel Chapo, who will replace President Filipe Nyusi, having served the maximum two terms. The Constitutional Council is considering an appeal from the Podemos opposition party that backed Mondlane, who won 20% of the vote.
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Mondlane, who said the demonstrations are now in the next intensified stage after completing the first two last week, has made references to a revolution.
On Wednesday, he posted to his Whatsapp channel a video of protesters storming the Sri Lankan president’s house in 2022, captioned: “This is the idea for the last day of the third phase (7.11.24).”
Mozambican law-enforcement officials said earlier this week they had opened a case against Mondlane, claiming his supporters torched a police station in the northern Nampula province. The preacher and former lawmaker has said he has gone into hiding after receiving information that he is a target for assassination.
Mozambique is home to a $20 billion liquefied natural gas project that TotalEnergies SE is leading, and which has been on hold since 2021, when nearby attacks from an Islamic State-backed insurgency forced the company to evacuate its staff. The company had been awaiting the election outcome before making a decision to formally resume the plan that would transform its $21 billion economy.
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(Updates with call for mass protest in third paragraph.)
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